Maintaining your equanimity, composure and internal sense of balance is a skill than anyone can develop.

I call it a secret weapon of the successful who seem to be able to navigate their way through an office environment that is studded with booby traps and minefields cunningly disguised as work colleagues; from the hypochondriac who painstakingly documents and broadcasts their every ache and pain (and bodily functions) to the angst ridden determined to share their life story and every other possible combination in between.

Our external world mirrors what goes on for us at the subconscious level. We attract into our immediate environment people and situations that remind us of what we focus on most within ourselves.

Ask yourself as you are reading this, what has been ticking over in your mind today. Was it a pleasant and happy conversation or encounter with another person, or was it you wishing you had the last word in an argument. Our best comeback lines are usually after the fact, sad but true.

Do you also notice that the same incident plays on high rotation in a loop fashion in your head, much like background muzak in a restaurant? It is just barely noticeable but it is there, insidious isn’t it.

So, the three circuit breaker tips I suggest are:

1) Check in on yourself

By that I mean, pause regularly during your work day and breathe; yes literally notice yourself breathing in and then gently exhaling. This is designed to slow down brain activity for 20 seconds, long enough for you to pay attention to your body instead of rushing headlong to meeting external deadlines.

This 20 seconds can be the difference between having a productive day or having a tense exchange with a co worker.

2) Eat your lunch away from your desk or work station

Being the office burning martyr will not get you a medal; removing yourself physically from your desk even if lunch is 20 minutes allows your brain to recalibrate.

Great for problem solving because it gives you time to mull over the facts (as you chew your food) without consciously thinking about coming up with a solution.

3) Remind yourself of what is important in your life

Keep a motivational quote on a 3 x 5 card by your computer as a reminder that you have a choice about how you are going to feel today; you choose how you wish to respond to your present circumstances.

Just reminding all you good people that I have a website devoted to mindset and financial freedom if you are wondering where some of the interviews have gone. Please head over to

1. Remind yourself again what it is that you are striving to achieve. • Is it a physical fitness goal of wanting to run a personal best in the Boston marathon or being financially independent in 5 years • Either way, are your goals written down for you to review and read as often as it is necessary2. Portion control • You can eat an entire elephant by yourself if it is only one bite at a time. So chunk it down to manageable portions that are achievable in days and weeks rather than months and years!3. Do a stock take of where you were 3, 6 and 12 months ago relative to where you are now • Celebrate your wins, no matter how small. It’s a win, don’t get too precious about it • Keep a journal and record your progress. You will be surprised at how far you have come4. Practise mental rehearsal of having reached your goal • Make it as real as possible by imagining what you are wearing, who is with you, whereabouts is this taking place, does it have a particular smell. Above all, tap into the feeling of having aced the goal and remind yourself of that winning feeling by clicking your finger 3 times in succession. • Do this daily even when you don’t feel like it, especially when you don’t feel like it5. What are you eating, when do you exercise • Remember the old computer programming term GIGO (Garbage In Garbage Out). If you are fuelling your body with junk food, you will not have the energy and stamina to get to your goals. This is a non negotiable fact of getting where you want to go and what you want from life • Yes, your body is a temple. Worship it with fresh food, vegetables, and lots of water. Ditch the refined carbs and trans fats, they clog your arteries and reduces blood and oxygen flow to your brain. Lord knows you need all your neurons to fire if you want to be able to think clearly. • Physical fitness is not an option. Again it is one of those things you just do to stay alert and healthy to be able to enjoy your successes when they come. Being in an iron lung and a millionaire is kind of bittersweet6. Oh brother where art thou; who do you hanging out with • Are these people supportive or do they make it a sport of taking potshots at your dreams and goals; if they are in the latter category, say bye-bye and leave them to wallow in their own pity party • Create a mastermind support group. These are people on the same wavelength who will not ridicule your goals, dreams and aspirations but instead cheer you on. You can learn from them and vice versa • If this type of support is thin on the ground, consider hiring a business/life/fitness coach to keep you accountable. Yes, it costs money so think of it as an investment in yourself. “You’re worth it” as the Revlon ad goes.7. What are you reading, watching on television • I am a big fan of reading motivational books by Jim Rohn, T Harv Eker, Bob Proctor and the cool thing is that there are lots of free mp3 downloads you can listen to in your car or as I like to call it “your university on wheels”. • Stop watching the news. If it is really important, somebody will tell you. Notice how television only reports bad news; that is because bad news sells.8. When do you stay still-meditate daily • This is about staying healthy on the inside • Often the solutions to business problems or obstacles at work are found when we shut up and stay still long enough for our sub conscious to present us with an answer. • Don’t be skeptical if you haven’t tried it for at least a month9. When did you last do a budget and track your expenditure and earnings • It is vital not to shy away from tracking your finances. How then will you know that you have made progress in putting aside money for investments and passive income building? Answer me that?10. Get in sync with your internal clock • If you are a night owl and your best ideas come to mind after 10pm, ask yourself why are you flogging your body to be up at 5am to be inspired and creative on your projects. It does not make sense, so stop it!

Jim Rohn’s own journey started when at the age of 25 he met his mentor Earl Schoaff who asked him the uncomfortable question of where his life was headed.

To his credit, Rohn replied with an honest “No where” and that was the start of the years of learning everything he could from his mentor.

He has distilled his years of experience into the seven strategies of goal setting, being a sponge and soaking it up, having the determination to change and forming new habits, staying on top of your spending, making time a priority, seeking out like minded associates and learning the art of living well.

These strategies if faithfully applied are your keys to a magnificent life.

In summary, these habits either get you to your financial, relationship and career goals or they subtly trip up your best efforts at moving past your current position.

Just this morning as you were getting dressed, did you have to think about how you put your dress, slacks or jeans on?

No, you either favoured your left or right foot first when stepping into your clothes. How about putting on your shoes or boots-which was first, left or right. Or when you shrugged yourself into your coat, which hand went first into the sleeve of your jacket, left or right. Didn’t see that one coming, did you?

Do you see where I am going with this?

These basic habits are so ingrained that we hardly take any notice yet they and some of your more important habits dictate where you are in life.

So, how did you end up with habits?

Quite simply they originated from your thoughts and feelings. Wow, imagine that! Just by thinking in a particular way you can actively influence your future.

This is great news folks because it means you are in the driver’s seat, you are in control and you decide whether you want to pull into the swanky 5 star hotel or the no star fleabag motel next to the highway.

The sequence is this:

Your thoughts and feelings lead to actions; your actions repeated become habits and your habits give you the results you are getting right now.

If you don’t like where you are right now, you know what do you. That’s right, change the way you think and feel. Too simple? Well that’s your challenge for the week.

If reading this has made you want to take a look at your current habits such as eating, saving and exercise (but then you get distracted by what is on television), let me leave you with this tasty tip about one common habit of wealthy people.

They do not procrastinate. They do what they have to do straight away or they list the things that need doing, and they get on with it. NOW!